S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, marking the end of a long and challenging development cycle that included the pandemic, relocations, cyberattacks, a fire in the Prague office, and, above all, the ongoing war in Ukraine, which continues to devastate the developers' Homeland.

The game is available for purchase on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Store. Also, the game is available for Game Pass subscribers day one.

Microsoft's latest Flight Simulator 2024 just launched, and it already appears to be riddled with problems. When internally testing, we ran into some issues regarding long loading times and eventual errors without getting to the game. Additionally, many others confirmed that they were experiencing problems. Launched on 08:00 am PT on November 19, the simulator has faced widespread server infrastructure issues affecting player access. CEO of Asobo, maker of this Flight Simulator franchise, Sebastian Wloch, has released a public statement via video addressing the widespread technical issues that plagued their latest game release. According to Wloch, while pre-launch testing had successfully simulated concurrent player counts of 200,000 users, the actual launch revealed critical weaknesses in the database cache system that weren't apparent during testing.

Additionally, the negative reviews stemming from these issues have piled up. On Steam, the game currently has 2,865 reviews, only 500 of which are positive. The remaining 2,000+ are overwhelmingly negative, with many users not being satisfied with the gameplay and quality of the release. The game's infrastructure is powered by Microsoft's Azure cloud, which is also not good marketing for Microsoft as the Azure platforms should signal better infrastructure scaling and stability. While these issues should be cleared in the long run, the short-term consequences are turning the launch into a colossal failure, as gamers expected more from this release. Lastly, the alpha version of the game was notorious for the massive internet bandwidth hog, causing up to 180 Mbit/s load.

In the 40 years since its creation in 1984 by a puzzle-loving computer programmer in the Soviet Union, the Tetris game has taken over the world - and it's never slowed down. Often found topping the lists of the best games ever created, over 220 official Tetris games have been released and the game has inspired a feature film, esports tournaments, and more. Four decades later, it's the game that hundreds of millions of players still can't put down.

Today, acclaimed retro gaming studio Digital Eclipse, in partnership with The Tetris Company, is pleased to announce the launch of Tetris Forever, the latest entry in the studio's acclaimed Gold Master Series. It's a love letter to the Tetris game, to its global, multigenerational fan base, and to the amazing history behind its rise to the top.

Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available worldwide on November 18th, 2024 at 3PM PST. This model will cost $679 USD, and will be available in all Steam Deck shipping regions, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via Komodo. Our new customers in Australia are included as well! The Limited Edition White model will ship alongside all other Steam Deck models at the same time (in Australia, this translates to November 19th, at 10:00AM AEDT).

Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White has all the same specs as the Steam Deck OLED 1 TB model, but in white and gray. It also comes with an exclusive white carrying case and white microfiber cleaning cloth. This model will only be available in limited quantities, with stock allocated proportionally across each region. This means separate availability for US, CA, UK, EU, AU, and the Komodo regions. To ensure that as many customers who wish to purchase a Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White can get their hands on one, we are restricting purchases to 1 unit per account. Accounts must have made a Steam purchase before November 2024 and be in good standing to be eligible.

After spending some time testing the feature in the Steam Beta client, Valve has finally made native recording via the Steam game overlay public in the mainline Steam client. In the latest Steam client update, which landed on November 5, game recording finally went live for all versions of Steam. While the new feature is undoubtedly helpful for gamers on all platforms, it's particularly useful for Linux and Steam Deck gamers, who have, until now, had to rely on myriad third-party software, which can be a hassle to set up and present additional overhead that may cause issues in games.

Similar to the likes of NVIDIA's GeForce Experience (soon to be replaced by the NVIDIA App) and AMD's Adrenaline Software, Steam offers a number of different options to record entire sessions or just short gameplay clips. Unsurprisingly, Steam game recording works with the Steam Deck (and thus many other Linux distributions), but perhaps not as expected is that it also works with non-Steam games that allow the Steam overlay to work. Valve also put some thought into the technical side of things, with optimizations to minimize CPU usage and rely on NVIDIA and AMD GPU video encoding wherever possible. This should minimize any performance impacts and increase power efficiency where applicable—as in the case of gaming handhelds. Valve does note that non-AMD and -NVIDIA GPUs may see significant performance impacts, which is not great news for Intel Xe owners.

The holiday season is here! MSI's Ultra Connect to New ERA Steam Code Promotion is your gateway to free Steam codes with our latest, most powerful products. Don't miss out - join now and gear up for an unforgettable gaming holiday!

About EZ-DIY Features - Motherboard, Liquid Cooling, PC Case
MSI has unveiled a new lineup of DIY-friendly products designed to simplify PC building for everyone, from beginners to experienced enthusiasts. The X870 (E) & Z890 motherboards come equipped with the EZ M.2 CLIP II, which enables quick, tool-free M.2 SSD installation, along with the EZ PCIe Release for easy and secure graphics card removal at the push of a button. The MAG CORELIQUID I series liquid cooling system features a universal UNI Bracket compatible with both Intel and AMD sockets. Its pre-installed fans simplify cable management to just one cable, while optional cable covers provide a clean and personalized look. Additionally, MSI's MAG PANO series PC cases offer tool-free panels on the front, side, and top, ensuring unrestricted access for adding side fans or radiators. MSI's user-friendly lineup aims to make PC building smoother, faster, and more enjoyable for everyone.

As we entered November, Valve just finished processing data for October in its monthly update of Steam Hardware and Software Survey, showcasing trend changes in the largest gaming community. And according to October data, AMD's discrete GPUs are not exactly in the best place. In the top 20 most commonly used GPUs, not a single discrete SKU was based on AMD. All of them included NVIDIA as their primary GPU choice. However, there is some change to AMD's entries, as the Radeon RX 580, which used to be the most popular AMD GPU, just got bested by the Radeon RX 6600 as the most common choice for AMD gamers. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 now holds 0.98% of the GPU market.

NVIDIA's situation paints a different picture, as the top 20 spots are all occupied by NVIDIA-powered gamers. The GeForce RTX 3060 remains the most popular GPU at 7.46% of the GPU market, but the number two spot is now held by the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU at 5.61%. This is an interesting change since this NVIDIA GPU was in third place, right behind the regular GeForce RTX 4060 for desktops. However, laptop gamers are in abundance, and they are showing their strength, placing the desktop GeForce RTX 4060 in third place, recording 5.25% usage.

Windblown has not even been out in Steam Early Access for a week, and already community feedback is changing the new roguelike. According to an announcement on Steam, Motion Twin will be changing a game mechanic thanks to an overwhelming amount of feedback from the community. The feature in question is Sudden Death, which is somewhat similar to the old Borderlands mechanic, in the sense that it puts players into a downed state when they lose all their health in co-op mode. Except, in Windblown, it's up to the downed player's teammates to revive them by defeating 10 enemies. While Sudden Death isn't usually an issue in standard missions, it becomes problematic during boss fights, when there is only one enemy to defeat. Obviously, this makes it difficult for the remaining players to complete the mission and resuscitate their fallen compatriots.

Fortunately, Motion Twin confirmed in a recent Steam Store news post that it plans to address the difficulty introduced by the feature, although it's not clear that the planned fix will actually solve the problem for everyone who has complaints about it. Motion Twin says it will not remove Sudden Death from Windblown, instead opting to tweak it, admitting that the current state of the feature "feels harsh and maybe even unfair". Motion Twin says that, despite wanting to address the feedback, it wants to maintain the tension and teamwork that Sudden Death brings to the game.

Electronic Arts Inc. and BioWare announced today that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is now available for PlayStation 5 (also enhanced for PS5 Pro), Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam (Steam Deck Verified), EA app and Epic Games Store. This bold, heroic adventure is built to deliver on what the series is best known for: rich storytelling, fantasy worldbuilding, companions & fellowship, and a world where you matter. The next installment in BioWare's beloved franchise has captivated critics worldwide, with outlets such as IGN and GamesRadar+ proclaiming it "deserves its place in the RPG pantheon" and is "A true return to RPG form for BioWare" in their 9/10 and 4.5/5 reviews.

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Solas, the Dread Wolf, wants to tear down the Veil that separates Thedas from the world of demons, restoring his people's immortality and glory - even at the cost of countless lives. But his ritual goes awry, and his worst fears are realized, as two of his most ancient and powerful adversaries are released. Players will step into the role of Rook, a fully-customizable protagonist who must rise up and unite their companions to stop these two powerful deities on a journey that will span across Thedas' bustling cities, lush tropics, boreal forests, fettered swamps and deepest depths.

Windblown, the latest game release from Motion Twin, the developer of Dead Cells, today released in Early Access on Steam. The new three-player co-op roguelike platformer launched in a surprisingly complete state, debuting with everything from single-player, two-player, and three-player co-op gameplay to a roster of 12 weapons and five biomes for players to explore. Motion Twin is open about the game still being in development, though, and hopes to use gamer feedback during the early access period to add much more content down the line.

The most impressive part of the game's launch is that, barely an hour after it went live, it managed to reach the number eight spot on SteamDB's Steam top seller list, beating out much larger titles, like Monster Hunter Wilds, which made news just yesterday for a new trailer and an open beta announcement. At the time of writing, Windblown has reached a peak of just over 4,800 concurrent players on Steam, with 152 reviews earning the game an 88% positive rating. Time will tell if this positive reception continues, but given that it launched at an odd time on a Thursday afternoon, it wouldn't be surprising to see the game reach much higher sales numbers and player counts over the weekend.

Valve has rolled out a significant system update for Steam Deck, introducing substantial improvements across all models while delivering specialized enhancements for the OLED variant. The v3.6.19 update focuses on system stability, display quality, and overall performance optimization. Steam Deck OLED owners will particularly benefit from this update, which includes several display-specific improvements, including better color balance at low brightness levels and enhanced display uniformity. A previous memory leak issue affecting OLED units during gameplay has also been resolved, ensuring more stable long-term gaming sessions. The update brings the Linux kernel to version 6.5 and updates the graphics driver to Mesa 24.1, improving system performance and hardware compatibility. Users can expect better responsiveness from the Steam UI and enhanced performance during memory-intensive situations.

External display support has seen notable improvements, with fixes for various blank screen issues and better frame pacing with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) displays. Bluetooth connectivity has also been enhanced, with improved pairing for Apple AirPods and support for additional Bluetooth profiles. The Steam Deck Docking Station also receives attention, with new HDMI CEC features allowing for TV remote input, wake-up functionality, and input switching. The dock's firmware has been updated to improve compatibility with high-refresh-rate VRR displays. LCD model owners haven't been forgotten, with the update promising up to 10% better battery life during light usage and the addition of overclocking controls. Security improvements include fixes for Flatpak vulnerabilities and various system-level security enhancements.

The latest game to come out of the Prince of Persia series was Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, which launched in January 2024. Now, after just 10 months on the market, Ubisoft has reportedly disbanded the development team behind the project, effectively ending all future development for the game and scrapping any planned sequels and DLC that was meant to be added to the game. The news has officially been acknowledged by Ubisoft, who published and developed the Prince of Persia game, and in its response, the game studio said that most of the developers involved with The Lost Crown have already moved to "other projects that will benefit from their expertise."

Since its launch in January this year, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has been a bit of a commercial flop, garnering a mere 1,446-player peak player count on Steam, according to SteamDB. Insider Gaming reports that The Lost Crown sold as many as 1 million units across its PS5, Xbox, and PC releases, leading Ubisoft to classify it as a commercial failure. Despite basically acknowledging that The Lost Crown wasn't profitable enough, Ubisoft seemingly wants to leave the door open for future installments in the Prince of Persia franchise, saying "We know players have a love for this brand and Ubisoft is excited to bring more Prince of Persia experiences in the future."

Publisher Dotemu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Streets of Rage 4) and developer Leikir Studio (Rogue Lords, Synergy) today announced Metal Slug Tactics (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1590760/Metal_Slug_Tactics/), the grid-based tactical adaptation of the iconic run-and-gun METAL SLUG series, will launch Nov. 5 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

The release date trailer debuts three additional playable characters in hard-hitting gameplay, each bringing a unique set of abilities into battle:

• Clark Still: Originally hailing from the Ikari Warriors series and previously playable in Metal Slug 6, Clark's immense strength and wrestling experience allows this tanklike ally to relocate enemies on the map and dish out wide-reaching, status-inflicting damage.
• Ralf Jones: Also returning for battle from the Ikari Warriors series and Metal Slug 6, Ralf is a master of short-range combat, packing devastating punches and the ability to charge at enemies head-on like a raging bull.
• Leona Heidern: A newer addition to the Ikari Warriors, Leona is a revered fighter capable of replacing fallen enemies with decoy allies; she can distract and overwhelm enemy forces in her distinct approach to dominating the combat zone.

Arc Raiders, the upcoming third-person PvPvE survival shooter from the developer of The Finals has received a date for its first tech test on Steam. This will apparently be the game's largest external play test to date, and, given the far-away release date, the developer will likely be evaluating things like server performance and game stability first and foremost—although players will likely be asked for feedback regarding game performance and features, as well. The tech test will run for four days, starting on October 24 and ending on October 27.

Players interested in trying out the upcoming extraction shooter can apply via the game's Steam Store page, although they will also need to agree to a non-disclosure agreement, and they will not be allowed to stream any gameplay, share any footage or images from the new game, or even talk about the playtest. In the announcement for the playtest, Embark Studios is clear that this is not meant to be a marketing push for Arc Raiders, despite the press wave that came with the tech test announcement, and the studio hopes to save the excitement for when the game fully releases in 2025.

Right on schedule, and as we reported earlier this month, Wayfinder has exited its long, tumultuous Steam Early Access period, and, almost immediately after the full release, the game saw a significant spike in player count—at least compared to its recent player count. Wayfinder released to the general public today, and since its full launch, it has gained at least 100 additional positive reviews. Meanwhile, the initial player count only spiked by around 2,000 concurrent players, and the game's all-time Steam review score barely budged from its overall mixed rating.

Wayfinder's 1.0 release seems to be off to a slow start, especially compared to its 24,000+ peak concurrent player count, which it achieved back when it was still slated to be a free-to-play online MMO released under Warframe developer Digital Extremes's publishing wing. Since then, however, Airship Syndicate has drastically changed the nature of Wayfinder, turning it into a co-op (or single-player) dungeon crawler ARPG that's loud and proud about being microtransaction-free. In the Wayfinder 1.0 update, Airship Syndicate also added a whole new area for players to explore and a new movement mechanic, which should dramatically increase the verticality of the game and the diversity of combat encounters.

Unknown Worlds has finally announced the next sequel to its popular indie survival game franchise, Subnautica, and released a teaser trailer alongside the reveal. While details are still scant, the first trailer divulges some key information about the upcoming game. For starters, and likely the biggest divergence from Subnautica and the Subnautica: Below Zero expansion, is the addition of multiplayer gameplay, supporting teams of up to four players. For now, it looks like gameplay will either be single-player or online co-op, although it's unclear whether teams will be able to mix the two, popping into four-player sessions alone or with one or two players sitting it out.

Just judging from the trailer and Steam Store page, it looks like Subnautica 2 will take many of the same game mechanics—crafting, resource management, and an open-world sandbox—as the other games in the franchise, and build on them, instead of trying to rewrite the story. Likewise, it looks to be leaning into the Lovecraftian horror themes earlier on in the game. There also seems to be a new upgrade mechanic that will allow players to augment the biology of their characters, which should add an extra layer of depth to the game. Unknown Worlds has not yet published the full retail price for Subnautica 2 or pinned an exact release date, but it will release as an Early Access game sometime in 2025. Fans of the genre and franchise can wishlist and follow the game on Steam, Epic Games, or Xbox or join the Discord community.

UGREEN has recently unveiled its latest innovation in fast-charging technology: the UGREEN Uno Charger 100 W USB C Charger. Designed for gamers and tech enthusiasts alike, this compact, four-port charger ensures that gaming never has to stop, offering rapid power delivery to handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally, alongside other devices. The flagship UGREEN Uno Charger 100 W is available to buy for $59.99 from Amazon with UK availability expected shortly on Amazon UK.

The UGREEN Uno Charger stands out with its 100 W fast charging capability, allowing users to charge a MacBook Pro 16-inch to 43% in just 30 minutes, making it equally powerful for gaming consoles and everyday tech. Equipped with three USB-C ports and one USB-A port, the charger can fast-charge up to four devices simultaneously—perfect for those juggling multiple gadgets during extended gaming marathons.

After recently announcing PS5 and PC cross-play, Airship Syndicate announced that its co-op, indie, ARPG dungeon crawler, Wayfinder, will officially exit early access on October 21. Along with the full version 1.0 release, Wayfinder will introduce both a new playable area, called The Crucible, and a new vertical traversal tool, called a Hookshot, specifically designed to explore the ruins of the ancient city. The announcement comes with gameplay footage (see on the PlayStation Blog) of the overgrown, gloomy mega-mech that was built by the ancients to fight a war but has since been reclaimed by nature. The new map adds an extra degree of verticality to the game, giving the developers an opportunity to expand the player experience and arsenal.

In addition to the new region and extended mobility options, Airship Syndicate is teaming up with Critical Role for a paid DLC that will add The Legend of Vox Machina characters to Wayfinder as playable characters. Although exact pricing of the DLC is unknown both the Critical Role DLC Supporter Pack and The Crucible will be available on October 21. After the update, players will still be able to play in both single-player and co-op modes, just like before.

As autumn arrives, Valve's Steam platform is heating up the gaming world with its latest Steam Next Fest. From now until October 21st, gamers can dive into hundreds of free demos from upcoming indie titles, turning their homes into a virtual gaming convention. Steam Next Fest spotlights indie projects and games from smaller development teams, offering various genres, from action RPGs to building strategies and visual novels. Valve compares the event to traditional gaming fairs, with one key advantage: players can try out demos at their leisure, without the time constraints and crowds typically found at physical events. To help users navigate the vast selection, Steam's homepage features an algorithmically curated discovery list tailored to each user's gaming preferences. Additional sorting options include lists of the most popular games, soon-to-be-released titles, and the most requested games participating in the fest.

For those seeking specific experiences, games can be filtered by categories such as action, adventure, strategy, and more. One of the event's unique aspects is that developers can only participate once with a particular game, ensuring that most demos are available to the public for the first time. This exclusivity adds to the excitement, giving players a first look at upcoming releases. Enhancing the interactive experience, Steam Next Fest also features numerous live streams where developers showcase their games, provide behind-the-scenes insights, and engage with the audience through Q&A sessions. These streams offer a personal touch, mimicking the developer interactions one might have at a physical gaming convention.

GameSir, a World-renowned brand in gaming peripherals, proudly announces the launch of its latest product, the Tarantula Pro. This stylish new controller, is designed to enhance the gaming experience across multiple platforms including Switch, iOS, Android, PC and Steam. Inspired by the formidable spider species with the same namesake, the Tarantula Pro stands out with its unique design and lightning-fast response time, making it the perfect device for keen gamers that want a distinctive, feature rich controller with a striking design.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro's distinctive design has multiple extra buttons on the front aligned in three lines, inspired by the appearance of a tarantula. This innovative layout also provides gamers with unprecedented control and flexibility during gameplay. Complemented by an RGB lighting strip and vibrant face buttons, the Tarantula Pro not only offers exceptional performance but also brings a visual flair to the gaming experience.

Valve has merged a new script into the master branch of its SteamOS Gamescope compositor on GitHub. This update introduces display configuration support for the Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, notably enabling Gamescope to utilize the full 48-120 Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) range on the 1920x1080p panels of these devices. Having a wide VRR range is especially worth considering the challenges of maintaining high frame rates on portable devices due to limited computational power. So with VRR being present at 48 Hz, handheld consoles reach tear-free gaming even demanding titles. This update follows a series of recent Steam-related improvements, including an August update that added support for Asus ROG Ally and ROG Ally X buttons to the SteamOS input layer.

With VRR support being added now, we may see future Steam Deck iterations with VRR display support, as the current Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED don't support this feature. This VRR update shows Valve's continued progress towards a broader release of SteamOS for various PC platforms. It confirms the company's focus on optimizing the operating system for handheld devices as the future of SteamOS. What used to be mini PCs, Valve now sees as handheld gaming consoles, which are the target area of SteamOS. Despite the growing anticipation, the exact release date for a broader SteamOS rollout remains uncertain, given Valve's notorious "Valve Time" approach to product launches. However, with community-driven SteamOS 3 ports like Bazzite and HoloISO already available, enthusiasts have alternative options to explore in the meantime.

Motion Twin, of Dead Cells fame, has announced the early access release date for its next roguelite, Windblown, which looks to be a much more cheerful affair than the grim-dark Dead Cells, and it's designed for multiplayer, too. Windblown will feature many of the same gameplay elements as Dead Cells, though, including fast-paced hack-and-slash combat, platforming, and permanent death. This time, though, Motion Twin has gone for an isometric perspective, instead of the side-scroller style, and the pixel graphics are swapped out for a cutesy cartoon style and color palette somewhat reminiscent of the likes of Paladins. There also appear to be some nifty bullet-hell-style battles thrown into the mix.

As for the release date and playable demo, Motion Twin has not yet announced when the game will fully release, but a Windblown demo will launch on October 14 during the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and Steam Early Access for the full game arrives on October 24. Motion Twin also says that any progress and unlocks achieved during the playable demo will carry over once the full game launches, which is a nice touch.

Metal: Hellsinger is a first-person rhythm shooter featuring roguelike and boomer shooter elements and set to a heavy metal soundtrack with some of the metal world's biggest names. The game follows a mysterious protagonist, known simply as The Unknown, as she battles her way through the various levels of hell on a quest to regain her voice. Today, the rhythm shooter launches an additional VR version, with some interesting new VR-specific rhythm mechanics to spice things up.

Being a rhythm game, Metal: Hellsinger gives players bonuses for performing actions on-beat with the background music—which often gets quite challenging due to the fast pace and swarming enemies—but the VR version steps things up a notch, allowing you to aim the game's dual pistols individually, physically draw and release the crossbow, and actively reload the shotgun to the beat.

Humble Bundle has just announced its monthly Humble Choice game bundle, a monthly selection of games that Humble Bundle members can download and keep forever for free. While the intention is obviously to tempt gamers to sign up for a recurring Humble Bundle membership, there's nothing stopping you from signing up for a month for $11.99 to claim the Humble Choice bundle and then cancelling the membership.

For October, there are eight new games joining the Humble Choice bundle, ranging from colorful, action-packed, third-person RPGs to indie simulation games, and meditative puzzle exploration games. The main attractions of the October Humble Choice bundle, though, have to be Remnant II, Persona 5 Strikers, Jusant, and Dome Keeper, which have each earned positive reviews both from critics and gamers alike.

Amazon Games recently launched the long-awaited free-to-play MMORPG, Throne and Liberty, in early access, and the game appears to have gone down quite well with the community. On Thursday, mere moments after the launch, Throne and Liberty already had a peak player count of 53,884—a figure it likely earned during its advanced access period in South East Asia and Korea, where it has been available since as early as December 2023.

Since then, Throne and Liberty has continued its success, rising to as many as 54,720 concurrent players on Saturday, September 28. While this only places it in third place for current top sellers on Steam, this player count is in spite of the free-to-play game's early access pass costing a minimum of $40 on Steam. Throne and Liberty has also garnered its significant following despite only 60% of its Steam user reviews being positive, making its success even more anomalous.